Impulse sender



June 16, 1936. V U 2,044,470

IMPULSE SENDER Filed April 12, 1953 2 SheetsSheet 1 FIG.

[omuwmuubum- //v l/ENTOR L. 05 VA UX ATTORNEY Jime 16, 1936. v DEVAUX2,044,470

IMPULSE SENDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 12, 1955 INVENTOR L. DEL AUXATTORNEY Patented June 16, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ern ElectricCompany,

Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a-corporation of New York Application April 12, 1933,Serial No. 665,686 In France September 16, 1932 10 Claims. (01. 177-380)This invention relatesto impulse sending devices and more particularlyto automatically operated pulsing devices of the type whereby aplurality of sets of impulses may be transmitted by a single manualoperation to effect an automatic telephone connection.

The establishment of a telephone connection by a subscribed in a largeautomatic area necessitates the manipulation of a finger actuated devicesome seven or eight times depending upon the number of digits whichconstitute the telephone number of the subscribers line with whichconnection is desired. This manual'operation of the telephone dial istiresome and particularly so in cases where a subscriber is called uponto communicate with'a large number of clients or customers daily orseveral times daily.

It is accordingly the object of this invention to simplify theestablishment of automatic telephone manual operation to cause animpulse senderoi' the dial type to function to transmit a complete setof impulses corresponding to the telephone number of a subscribers line.

For this purpose, the invention, according to another of its features,provides the use of cards on which the subscribers numbers may be set upby means of suitable perforations; these cards are adapted to beintroduced in a special device for exploring the perforations of thecard and controlling automatically the sending of impulses according tothe disposition and the number of these perforations.

These cards can be assembled by 'means of a binding device permittingthe assembly of a large number of cards, thus giving the facility ofcall' ,ing automatically, by means of the device of the to those used instatistical machines and their exploration is made by means ofmechanical feelers. A practical form of the invention consists in havingthe card explored by one or several feel- -as lines, reticulations,letters, figures, etc.

ers which cause a mechanical or electrical action when they meet a holeon the card.

One of the features of the invention resides in a device acting as abinder for assembling a large number of perforated cards, whilepresenting the possibility of separating any of these cards, withoutdetaching it from the binder, in order to introduce it into the impulsesending device, for the purpose of sending impulses corresponding to'theperforations on the card. I

Such cards are very inexpensive, they occupy very little space and theycan be prepared in as large a number as maybe required, since severalseparate packs of these cards may be used with the same impulsesendingdevice. The cards may bear, in addition to the perforated callingnum her, the name and address of the subscriber as well as any otheruseful information, thus adapting these cards to replace theusualtelephone directory. For this purpose, the cards may be suitablydisposed.

According to another feature of the invention, the card to be exploredis placed in a receptacle, the bottom of which is provided with slotsallowing the passage of feelers adapted to explore the various columnsof the card to find the perforations which constitute the subscriber'snumber to be called.

According to another feature of the invention, the perforation of thecards can be facilitated by providing the cards with suitableindications such For instance, the perforations could be made in thesuitable meshes of the reticulations. To facilitate the operation ofperforating in precise places, the centre of reticulations provided forsuch perforations, can have a small hole to act as a guide for theperforating tool which would then be equipped with a central needle.

According to another feature of the invention, the receptacle isprovided with a cover serving to maintain the card to be explored inplace; this cover is provided with slits placed perpendicular to theslots allowing the passage of feelers for the purpose of determining theexact position of any feeler or stylus considered, when the latter isengaged in a perforation of the card to be explored.

According to another feature of the invention, the number of impulsestransmitted depends upon the position of every feeler, after it hastravelled its whole way by means of a suitable mechanism. The mechanismcan be so arranged that when no hole is perforated in one or severalcolumns of the card, no signal or impulse is sent.

V the accompanying drawings in which:

The invention is capable of many diflerent embodiments and in order thatits nature may be fully understood, there is given herein below, by wayof example, a detailed description ofan embodiment, the principle ofwhich consists in providing a plurality of feelers or, styli which aresuccessively brought into an exploring position and to cause theapparatus to count the number of steps that every feeler or stylus wouldhave to cover after it has been stopped bya perforation, and to actuatethe impulse sending mechanism according to this number:

The following detailed description is based on Fig. 1 shows one type ofcard for the impulse sender;

Figs. 2 and 3 show a type of-binder used for uniting a certain number ofcards;

Fig. 4 represents the upper part of an impulse sender incorporatingfeatures of the present 'invention; ,1,

Fig. 5 shows in detail the'feelers-used to explore the perforations of acard; and

Figs. 6, '7 and 8 represent details of the impulse sending mechanism.

The call transmitter operating mechanism of this invention is housed ina casing 10 shown in Fig. 4, the upper portion of which is provided withflat surfaces forming bases .H' and In for receiving a bundle or set ofcards SC as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 with the separated card such as SCIfor example resting on the base "I. The cover plate l3.shown in Figs. 4and 5 is hinged to the casing 10 and may be moved to rest in a. fiatwiseposition'on the base III for holding the. separated card SCI firmly inadjusted position on this base. The cover plate l3 may thenbe locked inits closed position by the use of an ordinary latching device, notshown, and may be provided with an opening to permit at any time theidentification of the card on the base Ill.

The base In is provided with a plate l5 having parallelly disposed slotsthrough which feeler members I! shown in Figs. 5 and 6 extend forengaging perforations such as 16062 in the coordinate inscribed columnson the card SCI upon the operation of. their supporting arms IS in amanner that will be hereinafter described in detail. feeler members I!being normally held from contact with the card by tension springs 2|shown in Fig. 5.

Cover plate I3 is provided in its under side with a plurality of ratchetshaped teeth 12!,

12B, 12D, 12H, 12K, 12M, '12P, 'IZT, 12W and. TZIIQ shown in Figs. 4 and5 disposed at right I angles to the slots IS in the base l0 andtherefore to that 'of the direction of movement of feeler;.members l1,thes e teeth being provided to serve as stops for the arms l9 wheneverthe feeler members I! engage the teeth 'l2llQ, 12W, 121, etc... throughthe card perforations, which engagement is eflected upon the operationof arms l3 subsequent to the tensioning of associated flat springs 22:},22M, 221 2, 22y3, 22y4,22y5 and 22116 in a manner that will behereinafter described in detail.

Springs 221:, 221, etc., are pivoted as at 23 on the arms [3. Thesesprings engage at one end the downward extending portions 24 of feelermembers I! and their other ends are disposed in operable relation withtheir respectively associated cams 2527, 25:, 25.122, 2523, 253:4, 252:5and 25x disposed in helical relation on a rotatable shaft 2, a completeturn of shaft 26 being effective to cause the feeler members i! tosuccessively engage the underside of the card SCI placed on the base. l0against the tension of their-retracting springs 2|. 1

The arms l9 which correspond in number to that of the ordinate inscribedcolumns on the 5 card are mounted for pivotal movement on the shaft 2|]and each of these arms is operatively connected to an angularly shapedlever 4L by a tension spring 43 shown in Fig. 6, these levers being inturn loosely mounted on shaft 20.

Each angle lever 4i is provided with a pivot 40 for mounting a roller 39engaging the periphery of a cam 38 through the tension of a retractilespring 42 having one end hooked toone arm of angle lever 4| and itsothertend to any conven- 15 ient portion of the casing III as shown inFig. 6, movement of cams 38 being effective to impart collectivelyoscillatory movements to the arms [9 and the feeler members i! carriedthereby to permit these feeler members to successively en- 20 gage undercontrol of the helically disposed cams 25:0, 25ml, 25x2, etc., any holefrom I to ll as IGUQ which may be punctured in the ordinate columns ofthe card..

The cams 38 are securely mounted on a rotat- 25 able shaft 34 which isoperated through a oneway clutching device in the form of a ratchet of apinion 32 loosely .mdimted on the shaft 34.

Pinion 32 .engages with a gear at securely mounted on the shaft portionof a pinion 32 in turn 35 engaging a gear toothed sector 28 mounted on ashaft 29. This shaft is actuated by a manually operable lever member 3 lthe operation of which in the direction indicated by the arrow iseffective to tension a motor spring 33*, the ratchet wheel being rotatedin the direction of pawl 33 and therefore ineffective to impart movementto shaft 34 during the downward movement of handle lever 3|. r

The movement of lever 3i and the gear sector 28 inthe direction oppositeto that indicated by the arrow under the tension of motor spring 33causes the engagement of ratchet wheel 80 with the pawl 33 carried bythe worm gear 35 for rotating the shaft 34 and the cams 38 carriedthereby under control of a governor 31 through the engagement of a worm3G with worm gear 35, the gear ratio from gear sector 23 and pinion 32on shaft 34 being such as to impart to this shaft and the cams 38 anangular movement of 2520 degrees or seven turns for a forty-five degreeangular movement of sector 23.

The cam shaft 26 is operatively connected to shaft '34 by anintermittent gear mechanism shown in Fig. '7 consisting of a one-tootheddriv- 60 ing gear 48, secured on shaft 34 and a seventoothed star wheel49. Star wheel 45 is secured on a spindle 83 together with a spur gear34 in turn engaging another spur' gear 35 securely mounted on shaft26,-the operation of this gear 5 mechanism being effectiveto operate theshaft 26 and the earns 251:, 252.1, 251:2. etc; carried therebyintermittently as to tension one of the springs 22y, 221, 22:42, etc.upon each complete turn of cams 38 and therefore for each complete 7oscillatory movement of arms [3, the tensioning of these springs beingeffected upon the return movement of angle levers H to normal position.

v On shaft 23 and adjacent each. angle lever H is securely mounted aratchet toothed sector 62 75 manually operable lever 3|.

engagement. with its respectively associated ratchet toothed sector 62under the tension of a fiat spring 41. Pawls 46 are each provided withan upward extending portion 86 for engagement when in normal position asshown in Fig. 8 with pins 45 carried by angle levers 4| and pins 44carried by the arms I 9, the pins 44 serving to hold' the pawls 46 outof engagement with the sectors 62 through the tension of retractilesprings,

acting against the tension of springs 41, andp'ins 45 serving to limitthe disengaging movement of pawls 46 and thereby positioning the anglelevers 4| with respect to arms i9. It is to be noted, however, that uponthe relative movement of angle levers 4| under control of cams 38 withrespect to their associated arms l9, pawls 46 are moved free from pins44 for engaging the ratchet shaped. toothed sectors 62 under the tensionof springs 41'and thereby rotating the shaft 20 and the gear sector 63which in turn actuates a pinion 50 secured to the main shaft of the calltransmitter 5| shown in Fig. 8 for setting its impulse mechanism andwinding its motor spring in the ordinary manner an amount correspondingto the relative movement of angle levers 4| with respect to arms i9,such relative movement being due to the stopping of these arms when thefeeler members I! engage the teeth 'IZBQ, 12W, 12T, etc., through theperforations of the card and the continued movement of angle lever 4|under control of the cams 38 against the tension of rectractile springs42 and 43.

Gear sector 63 carries a pin 54 provided for controlling the engagementof a pawl 52 with a one-toothed disc 53 secured at the end of shaft 34.The engagement of pawl 52 with disc 53 is effective to momentarilyarrest the movement of shaft 34 and the cam 38 in the position shown inFigs. 6 and 8, as to permit the pinion iii? to return to normal positionunder the tension of the call transmitter motor spring where the pin 54reenegages the pawl 52 for disengaging it from the disc 53 and therebypermitting the continued movement of shaft 34 and the cams 38 undercontrol of governor 31 timed substantially to the rate of speed of calltransmitter 5|, the cycle of operation above described being repeatedduring the'complete return movement of handle lever 3| to normalposition. I

In a typical example of operation the downward movement of handle lever3| and gear sector 28 actuated thereby is effective to rotate the shaft29 for tensioning the spiral motor spring 30. The movement of. gearsector ,28 rotates the pinion 82, the gear 8|; the pinion 32 and theratchet wheel 30 in a direction ineffective with respect to pawl 33carried by worm gear 35. The cams 38 and the governor 31 therefore arenotoperated during thedownward movement of However, upon theretuinmovement of-lever 3| to normal position underg thetension of motorspring30 andthe consequentfreverse movement of pin'ion 32 and theratchetwheel 80 through the g'eartrain above described, this ratchet'wheelengagesthe pawl 33' for" actuating the worm gear 35 and thereby itssupporting shaft 34 under.control ofgovernor 31; i

The movement of shaft 34 and the cams 38 in the direction indicated bythe arrow is effective to impart oscillatory movements to' angle levers4| and to their respective associated levers l9 connected thereto by.the tension springs 43, the

gear ratio from sector 28 to shaft 34 as above mentionedv is such as toimpart seven turns to shaft 34 for a forty-five degree angular movementof gear sector 28, the cams-38 therefore imparting seven completeoscillatory movements to angle levers 4| and the arms l9 upon eachoperation of handle lever 3|. shaft 34 is effective to impart throughtheGeneva gearing mechanism above described an intermittent movement toshaft 26 and the cams25az, 25.1:I, 25.1:2, etc. carried thereby fortensioning the springs 22y, '22yl; 221/2, etc. in sequence correspondingto the position of cams 250;, 25ml, 25:02, etc., for successivelyengaging the feeler members ll with the under disposed surface of cardSCI and consequently in the teeth 72L 12B,

12D, etc. against the resistance of their retractile springs 2|. But itis to be noted that only one of the feeler members I! is renderedeffective with respect to the punctured card for each collectiveoscillatory movement of angle levers 4| and that of arms I9 for eachturn of earns 38 through the tensioning of their associated springs 22y,22yl, 221 2, 221/3, etc. by the cams 25:0, 25:1:I, 25x2, 25x3, etc. asthe case may be. As shown in Figs. 5 and 7 the cams 25x6, for example,is positioned as to tension its associated springs 221/6 and therebyforcing its associated feeler member I! against the under surface of thecard so as to cause the engagement of this feeler member in the tooth orstop 'IZUQ shown in Figs. 4 and 5 corresponding to that of the puncturedhole |6|1Q in the card so as to prevent any further movement of this armwhile its associated angle lever 4| continues its movement under theaction of its operating cam 38 against the tension of retractile springs42 and 43. Upon a relative movement of angle lever 4| with respect toarm 49, the spring 41 shown in Figs. 6 and 8 forces the pawl 46 inengagement with its associated ratchet toothed sector 62 for rotatingthe gear sector 63 secured on shaft 20 and thereby ro-,

tating the pinion 5|) securely mounted on the operating shaft of calltransmitter 5| for operating it, an angular distance corresponding tothe effective movement of angle lever 4|, that is, from the 'pointwherein the pawl 46 engages the ratchet toothed segment 62 as definedbythe perforations IBIIQ in the card to the limit of movement of anglelever 4| under control of cam 38.

Upon the operation of gear sector 63 and the engagement of pawl 52 withthe one-toothed ,disc 53, the movement of shaft 34 and thatof the cams38 carried thereby is prevented until the pinion .50 on the dial shaftis returned to its normal non-operated position under. the tension ofits own motor springwhen the pawl 52 The rotation of preparing thedevice 4 carried by said mounting for securing said card on said base,said plate having indentations registering with the coordinate columnsinscribed on said card, a cam shaft, a plurality of feeler memberspositioned by'the movement of said cam shaft and operable in line withthe ordinate columns inscribed on said card for successively engagingthe indentations insaid plate according to the perforations in saidcard, and means automatically operable upon the engagement of K saidmeans with said indentations for causing "spring means for operativelyconnecting said members to said elements, a plurality of cams foractuating said members relative to the engaged positions of saidelements as defined by the perforations in said card, and meansforactuating the call transmitter shaft upon the engagement of saidelements.

3. In a device for controlling the operation of a call transmitterhaving a variably rotatable shaft, a card having a plurality ofperforations represeting a predetermined number, a mounting for saidcard, a plate for securing said card on said mounting, a plurality ofnormally ineffective feeler members, means operable for successivelyrendering said members effective with respect to said card, a cammingmechanism for imparting oscillatory movements to said memberscollectively to cause the effective feeler member to engage aperforation in said card, and a gearing mechanism operable upon theengagement of said feeler member with said card for actuating the calltransmitter shaft according to the position of the engaged perforationin said card.

4. In a device for controlling the operation of a call transmitterhaving a variably operable shaft, a card having perforations disposed incoordinately inscribed columns, the ordinate columns representing anumber and the coordinate columns representing the number of digitsincluded in the number, a mounting having a base for receiving saidcard, a plate-for securing said card on said base, feelerlmembersnormally ineffective 'with respect to said card, supporting arms forsaid members, means for actuating said arms a number of timescorresponding to the number of digits in the number and at a distance 7corresponding to said ordinate columns, said plate having ratchet teethregistering with the coordinate columns inscribed on said card forengagement with saidfeeler members for stopping the movement of saidarms, a plurality of rotatable cams, lever members actuated by saidcams, yieldable means operatively connecting said arms to said levermembers for moving said lever members with respect to said arms, andmeans operable upon the relative movement of said arms and said leversfor actuating the call transmitter shaft according to the perforationsin said card. i f

5."1he combination'wltE'a call transmitter having a variably operablerotating shaft, of a card having perforations along coordinatelyinscribed rows representing the digits included in a predeterminednumber, a mechanism operable according to the perforations in said cardfor actuating the transmitter shaft, said mechanism including aplurality of pivoted arms, a feeler member carried by each of said arms,a plurality of pivoted levers, spring means operatively connecting eachof said arms to each of said levers, a rotatable shaft, a plurality ofcams carried by said shaft for actuating "said levers, spring meansnormally holding said feeler members in position inefiective withrespect to said card, means actuated by said rotatable shaft forsuccessively I engaging said feeler members with said card, a

plate having ratchet elements for stopping the movement of said armsupon the engagement of said feeler members in the perforations in saidcard, and clutch mechanisms operable upon the relative movement betweensaid arms and said levers for operating the call transmitter shaftaccording to the position of the engaged perforations in said card.

6. In a device for controlling the operation of a call transmitterhaving a variably operable shaft, a card having perforations incoordinately inscribed columns, a mounting having a base for receivingsaid card, a plate for securing said card on said base, a plurality ofpivoted arms, a plurality of ,lever members, one for each ofsaid arms, aratchet element carried by each of said arms, a roller carried by eachof said members, a cam engaging each of said rollers for actuating saidarms in the direction of the ordinate inscribed column on said card,ratchet elements carried by said plate and cooperating with the firstmentioned ratchet elements for positioning Y said arms according to theperforations in said card, means operable automatically upon thecontinued movement of said levers with respect to said arms foroperating the call transmitter shaft according to the stop position ofsaid arms, means for returning said arms to normal position upon apredetermined movement of said cams, and a plurality of means forcontrolling the operation of said cams.

7. In a device for controlling the operation of a call transmitterhaving a variably operable element, a stationary card havingperforations in coordinately inscribed columns representing digits, amounting having a base for receiving said card, a plate for securingsaid card on said base,. said plate having a number of ratchet teethcorresponding to the coordinate columns inscribed f on said card, aplurality of pivoted-arms, a plurality of normally ineffective meanscarried by said arms operatively associated with said plate, a cammingmechanism for collectively actuating number of perforations on saidcard, another camming mechanism intermittently operable for said arms anumber of times corresponding to the rendering one of said meanseffective upon each 60 collective movement of said arms for successivelyengaging the perforations in said card and the corresponding teethinsaid plate for arresting the movement of said arms, and meansautomatically operable upon the stopping operations of said arms forsuccessively actuating the call transmitter shaft according to theperforations in said card. y v

8. In a device for controlling the operation of a call transmitterhaving a variably operable ele- 70 ment, a card having a plurality ofperforations representing digits contained in a predetermined number, amounting having a base for receiving said card, a plate hinged to saidmounting for securing said card on saidbase. said plate hav- 75 ing arow of equally spaced ratchet teeth in its able means for controllingthe operation of said side adjacent said card and coinciding with saidcamming mechanism.

perforations, normally inefiective feeler members 10.,In a device forcontrolling the operation for engaging the teeth in said plate upontheir of a call transmitter having a variably operable to cause thelatter when rendered eifective to encard on said base, said plate havingratchet 10" mechanisms automatically operating upon the levers, one foreach of said arms, a plurality 01' 15 of said plate and the continuedmovement of the to each of said arms, means including a cam secondmentioned means for controlling the shaft for actuating said levers, andother shaft, a operation of said gearingvmechanism for variablyplurality of cams disposed in helical relation on 0 actuating the calltransmitter operating element said shaft, gearing mechanism operativelyconaccording to the position of the perforations on necting said camshaft with said other shaftfor said card. intermittently actuating thelast mentioned shaft, 9. In a device foroperating a call transmitterspring means tensioned by said helically disposed mechanism foractuating said members, means automatically.operable upon a relativemovement ating element according to the relative movement 7 LUCIENDEVAUX. 35

